Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenny
We kind of found the opposite to be true. I was putting out quite a bit more power per cu/in NA than this build with a blower, and the air to oil worked best. The thing about using a thinner oil at reduced temps meant it did not have to be heated by the engine because of the flow rates at lower temps. Our 5w20 oil lasted much longer at lower temps without breaking down, than hotter 20/50 race oil. Keep in mind that the coolant basically keeps combustion temps under control and cools the oil by cooling surfaces that the oil contacts. Virtually all the cooling of critical parts is done through the oil, which makes the coolant a middle man of sorts.... just using a fairly small portion of the radiator area for the cooler. We kept our head temps at about 230° for best power and the ability to keep it stabilized. The cooler oil greatly reduced cooling system load..... I guess I am kind of pushing this idea because oil temps are so critical to component life.... I'll stop it now 
Okay.....now......  |
I completely agree with this statement. Back in my Honda days I swore up and down that everyone that was running a turbo needed to install an oil cooler even if it was small. 9.5:1 and 8-10 lbs of boost on a Honda got things hot quick.
I do have a question on that though. How do you control the temp if it gets to cool? Is there a sort of thermostat you are using or are you just letting the coolant take care of that?